5.5

Dick exited the canteen with a couple to-go boxes for lunch. He saw a lot of students running in the same direction. As they passed, they were talking. Dick gleamed from the bits and pieces that he heard that the Lion Corps posted the selected candidates.

Dick thought about the Lion Corps' list. Everyone had been talking and thinking about it these past few days. Dick knew that the chance of him being selected was a big fat zero, but he was still curious and followed the group.

Everyone stood below the college's display. This specific screen released important information regarding the school. Dick reached the screen and looked up. The candidates were listed according to their classes. It was as expected. Most of the candidates were from Class A. Class B followed behind, then Class C and Class D. Almost every single class had a candidate chosen from their groups. From those candidates, they were among the top of their class.

Dick was shocked when he saw 'Class F' on the screen. He quickly deduced that Qiao Chen should have been the one chosen. He looked at the list and saw 'Qiao An'. It wasn't that much of a surprise anymore. However, there was another name below Qiao An's and that was…

Dick's jaw dropped, and he almost dropped his to-go boxes with it. The name 'Dick' was listed right below Qiao An's name. He looked at the screen several times and at different angles to make sure that it was his name. The name was right, so he thought about the cadets in Class F. There wasn't anyone who had the same name as him either. Finally, Dick realized that he was also selected as a candidate. However, Dick wasn't very excited. Instead, he was horrified. He turned back and ran all the way back to his dorm.

"Qiao- Qiao An…" Dick gasped.

"What's wrong? Why are you so flustered?" Qiao Chen looked up from the mechanical shield and asked. Once he saw that Dick was physically fine, he turned his attention back to repairing the shield.

"The l-list. It's out. The list is out."

"Really? Who are the candidates?" Qiao Chen asked calmly.

Dick put the to-go boxes on the dining table and calmed himself down. Once he finally caught his breath, he sat down across Qiao Chen, and said, "You and I have been selected."

"Really?" Qiao Chen paused for a moment, surprised, once he heard that Dick was a candidate. However he looked up and noticed that Dick didn't seem to be happy or excited. He asked with some doubt, "Don't you want to be selected?"

Dick shook his head 'no'. His head was lowered, and his mood just as low.

"Why? Isn't your fiancé also a Lion Corps soldier?" Qiao Chen asked.

Dick looked up in surprise and asked, "How did you know?"

Qiao Chen smiled, but didn't reply.

"It's because he's there that I don't want to be selected as a candidate. He always bullies, even when we were young. And…" Dick slumped over. He hugged his shins with his face on his knees and mumbled, "I don't want him to see me and think that I'm useless. If he saw how I normally perform, then he'd laugh."

Qiao Chen carefully installed the last piece of the shield in place. Then he re-installed the shield onto Dick's mechanical shield. Once everything was done, he handed it back to Dick and said, "I promise he won't laugh at you if you have this."

Dick accepted the mechanical shield, but his mood was still low. He thought that Qiao Chen was only comforting him. He couldn't be any more clear about how awful his ability capabilities were. If he really did take part in the training competition, then he'd be compared with the other candidates. He'd be at the bottom of the barrel- a laughingstock.

"I think it's better to apply for a school resignation." Dick said abruptly. Even though this wasn't an opportunity that anyone could just ask for, especially the ones who weren't even selected, he didn't want it.

"Why are you quitting? You obviously have the strength." Qiao Chen walked over to the dining table and took out their lunch. "Come and eat. I'm starving."

Dick smiled wryly. He walked over to the table too and then sat down. He half heartedly grabbed a fork and pushed his food around his plate.

Qiao Chen stuffed his mouth with big bites. After he wolfed down the food, he looked at Dick and said, "Let's go"

"To where?" Dick asked, confused.

"The training grounds." Qiao Chen replied.

"It's almost night time." Dick glanced out the window and said. "I'm not going. I have to write up my letter of resignation and give it to Mr. Wolfe tomorrow. He can help me turn it in."

"Just come with me to the training ground. At least test out the mechanical shield I upgraded for you. We can do that first before your other stuff." Qiao Chen grabbed Dick's arm and pushed him out the door.

The truth of the matter was that Dick had very explosive abilities. Very few people were able to exhibit strong abilities like his. However, due to the instability in Dick's body, most of what he could use fizzled and faded before it could explode.

If Dick could stabilize his abilities, then most of the Class A cadets wouldn't be able to put up a fight against his strong exploding abilities. Qiao Chen installed a chip he invented himself into Dick's mechanical shield. This allowed his shield to strengthen and stabilize Dick's abilities whenever he used it.

Qiao Chen selected a secluded training ground that no one really used to go to. After they entered, Qiao Chen had Dick go onto the training platform while he entered the control room to set everything up.

Qiao Chen set all the values in the simulator. Then he motioned to Dick, so he'd initiate the training sequence. After everything was good to go, Qiao Chen entered the observation platform outside of the control room.

Dick fastened the mechanical shield onto the back of his leather glove. He activated the mechanical shield and initiated his abilities to attack the robotic beast in front of him. Dick wasn't very excited, but the fizzle that he was expecting never happened. His abilities shot out and exploded the robot into smithereens. He stared at the spot where the beast once was. However, multiple robotic beasts were already rushing up to him, so he didn't have much time to be surprised. He quickly shot out several bursts of attacks.

There were more and more robotic beasts littering the platform. Each wave was stronger than the last. Dick didn't think the Qiao Chen was set up such a rigorous training simulation for him, but he could only continue attacking and shooting out his abilities.

Explosions blasted the platform one after the other. The sound waves constantly rumbled through the air, and Qiao Chen was starting to get little dizzy from it. He had the system block out some of his hearing, so he could finally get some relief.

Dick was getting more and more shocked. He was in disbelief because from the beginning up until this round of beasts, every single attack was successful. Not a single one fizzled out into little wisps. A huge swarm of robotic beasts appeared and Dick wanted to try something new. He pulled up his abilities and prepared a row of cannon-like shots. Boom boom boom. Consecutive explosions hit the swarm.

He succeeded.

This was an ability he practiced for a long, long time. Over the course of the years, he might have been able to successfully attack probably five times at the most, but today… He succeeded.

The training simulation Qiao Chen programmed was completed. Dick sat on the floor, exhausted. This was the first time, from birth until now, he was able to use so much of his abilities. He was tired, but was over the moon. His abilities didn't wither and waste away in the air like before. I did it.

Qiao Chen walked over to Dick, sat down with him, and said, "Wasn't that great? After this, it's better if you focus on strengthening your constitution, your body's agility, and your aim."

The sound of clapping suddenly rang out. The two cadets looked over and saw Au Luo with his subordinates at the door. The two weren't sure how long the group had been watching.

Qiao Chen and Dick stood back up. Dick saw a certain someone standing behind Au Luo. Dick almost instinctively ducked behind Qiao Chen to hide.

Qiao Chen thought that Au Luo was going to say something, but he only shot Qiao Chen a smile and left with his men. Qiao Chen was unbothered. He was already accustomed to Au Luo's sudden disappearance and reappearance.

The two returned to their dorm. Dick cautiously held his mechanical shield and looked at it. Then he looked back up at Qiao Chen and asked, "If have this mechanical shield you upgraded- does this mean that I won't be last in the training competition?"

"You don't want to quit anymore?" Qiao Chen asked with a laugh.

"I…" Dick blushed a bit. He wanted to show that person that he wasn't a weakling. Dick still wasn't sure how much of the practice simulation that guy had seen just now.

"If you just don't want to be on the bottom of the list, then the shield alone is enough. However, it isn't enough if you want to score high enough to become a part of the Lion Corps. You already know that our physical and practical skills training are given based on class levels."

Dick thought for moment and realized that the training competition would begin soon. The competition tested and scored all aspects of the cadets' capabilities. It was almost impossible for one to improve their physical strength and constitution to the level needed in the special operations candidate selection in such a short amount of time. However, Dick didn't really aim for the Lion Corps. He would be satisfied if he could perform well during the competition.

"I have a way to permanently stabilize your abilities. That way, even if you don't use the mech shield I upgraded, other mech shields would still be able to properly allow you to utilize your abilities." Qiao Chen offered.

"Really?" Dick stared at Qiao Chen. His wide eyes kept widening in anticipation.

"The process can be pretty dangerous if it fails. However, if it succeeds, then I can guarantee to you that you'd be 100% safe. The only way I can do this, though, is only if you promise to keep it a secret and never tell anyone." Qiao Chen said quietly.

"I trust you. You can trust in me to keep it a secret too." Dick's baby face was filled with trust and determination.

The Lion Army gave their chosen candidates three days to prepare. Once the three days were over, they would take the candidates to the Lion Corps' base. This meant that Qiao Chen only had three days to completely stabilize Dick's abilities.

In the evening, Qiao Chen called his second uncle's spouse and asked him to pick him up from school and request a leave of absence. Cadets weren't allowed to out of the school's premises without a parent or guardian's request for a leave of absence.

Arthur picked up Qiao Chen that night. Qiao Chen requested to borrow his lab and then buried himself in there for two days. Qiao Chen immediately returned to school once he finished.

"Wake up, Dick." Qiao Chen said and jostled the sleeping Dick awake.

Dick opened his bleary eyes and sat up confused. His vision focused on Qiao Chen and asked, "You came back already? Is it dawn yet?"

"No. It's still the middle of the night." Qiao Chen said. "I'm going to do a small operation on you right now. You can go back to sleep when I'm done."

"Operation? What do you mean? Operation like a medical surgery?" Dick asked with unease.

Qiao Chen took out a glass box and showed it to Dick. A microchip less than the size of a pinky nail was inside. "I want to put this microchip into the back of your neck. This will guarantee your abilities' stability no matter what mech shield you decide to use."

"Really?" Dick asked as he looked back at Qiao Chen.

"Of course, but the process can be dangerous. Do you trust me?" Qiao Chen reiterated.

"I believe in you." Dick nodded.

"Why do you trust me so much? I'm not a doctor and surgeries can always have their complications." Qiao Chen asked confusedly. He had been a doctor for two lifetimes now, so he knew what he was doing. There was also the system that he could use to help him minimize the danger. However, these were all things the he knew, not Dick. Regardless of this, Dick still trusted and believed in him so much….

"My intuition tells me that I can put my trust in you." Dick said with a bright smile.

"Your intuition?"

"Yep. My intuition." Dick nodded and said. "He also said that I was the kind of idiot who could only rely on their gut feeling…. But my intuition has never failed me yet."

Qiao Chen smiled. He thought that the sayings 'great intelligence may appear to some as stupidity' and 'fortune favor's the fool' probably applied here.

Qiao Chen opened his specially prepared health kit. He took out the instruments and other items need for the operation and laid them out neatly. Then he had Dick lie on the bed, face down.

Qiao Chen washed his hands and then wore the surgical gloves. He cleaned the back of Dick's neck with alcohol and performed local anesthesia. After, Qiao Chen picked up the scalpel and made a small incision on the back of Dick's neck.

Qiao Chen hasn't used the scalpel for a long time now, and the operation was a very complicated procedure. It required him to connect a lot of the neck nerves to the microchip, and there couldn't be a single mistake. Therefore, Qiao Chen was giving 120% of his attention, and he had the system running in the background to ensure he wouldn't make a single mistake.

The sun's first rays broke through the horizon and the sky began to lighten. Qiao Chen finally finished the operation and sewed the incision on the back of Dick's neck up.

"Whew~" Qiao Chen sat down on his bed and took in a long breath. He picked up a nearby towel and wiped the sweat from his face. He never expected to perform such a difficult operation after he had almost forgotten what it was like to be a doctor.

"Is it done already?" Dick sat up and gingerly moved his neck. He didn't feel anything from where the incision was. He neck was just sore from staying in the same position all night.

"Yep. It's done, and there weren't any complications." Qiao Chen replied. He repeatedly used the system to confirm everything.

Qiao Chen took out a small enhancement disk and had Dick install it onto his mech shield. "People will be suspicious if you suddenly have such a heaven defying improvement. Put this on your shield for a while. It'll distract the curious eyes."

The mech shield that everyone used was considered personal property. Only the owner was able to modify or upgrade it as they pleased. This meant that the consequences of their modification were their own consequences to bear.